Display package particularly for paint brushes and the like



Dec. 6, 1960 J. DGETLUCK 2,963,150

DISPLAY PACKAGE PARTICULARLY FOR PAINT BRUSHES AND THE LIKE Filed July 16, 1958 INV ENT OR .lWIIIJMHWIIIIIIIHIIIHWHHMMM ATTORNEYS DISPLAY PACKAGE PARTICULARLY FOR PAINT BRUSHES AND THE LIKE John Dgetluck, Chicopee Falls, Mass., assignor to Pioneer Folding Box Inc., Chicopee, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 16, 1958, Ser. No. 748,942

Claims. (Cl. 206-78) The present invention relates to improved display packages and particularly for paint brushes and the like.

Current retail sales techniques have, more and more, emphasized point-of-purchase merchandising, i.e. effectively displaying merchandise where it may readily catch the eye of prospective purchasers or casual shoppers in a retail store. While some articles may be readily displayed in this fashion without the need for any special packaging, other items must be carefully protected. This latter need has led to the widespread use of transparent materials in one form of container or another, as is commonly found in our retail stores today.

Paint brushes, however, have presented certain unique problems in being displayed in this point-of-purchase fashion in that there is a need to protect the bristles from collecting any substantial amount of dust or dirt. This has led to a fairly common practice of.totally enclosing their paint brushes in a container in which the bristles are covered over by a transparent housing formed of cellulose acetate or the like. Such a paint brush package serves well the need of protecting the bristles against accumulating dust, but makes difficult close visual inspection of the bristles which careful purchasers wish to examine to satisfy themselves as to bristle quality.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved display package having an article receiving pocket formed at least in part by a transparent portion, and closed off at one end by a hinge-like portion which may be displaced to provide access to the interior of the pocket against the action of the resilient material forming the hinge-like portion.

Also the present invention has for its object to obtain the combined advantages of a transparent display package for paint brushes or the like and at the same time economically provide for close inspection of the brush bristles.

Another object of the invention is to attain the above ends by providing a unique manner of assembling together two packaging elements for display purposes.

The above and other related objects of the invention as well as the novel features whereby they are attained will be apparent from the following description of the disclosure found in the accompanying drawings and the particular novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a paint brush contained within a package embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line II1I of Fig. 1 showing the paint brush partially projected from the package for visual inspection;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the package seen in Fig. l with certain portions broken away and others in section; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line IV-1V of Fig. l.

The paint brush seen in Fig. 1 is mounted in the display package of the present invention in the fashion that States atent O would be employed in retail stores. Thus it can be noted that the bristles b of the brush are received within a pocket or display chamber normally closed at its upper end. This display chamber is formed by a relatively stiff panel member 10 and a transparent hood 12.

The hood 12 is preferably formed of molded cellulose acetate sheet material which is relatively resilient and flexible and has a fair degree of stiffness. The hood comprises a front wall 14 spaced from the panel 10 by a skirt which includes vertical side walls 16 spaced apart at their lower ends and interconnected at their upper ends by a top wall 18. The skirt further includes an outwardly projecting flange 20 which further gives rigidity to the side walls 16 and top wall 18. The flange 20 is normally engaged with or closely adjacent the panel 10 thereby forming a substantially dust free chamber for receiving the brush bristles b. It will be seen that the height of this chamber which in effect is determined by the height of the hood 12 is somewhat greater than the length of the bristles b and that the brush ferrule f projects a short distance into said chamber to give further protection to the bristles against accumulation of dust.

The lower or spaced apart portions of the side walls 16 are further provided with extensions 22 which are reversely folded from the respective flange portions 20 to form channels which receive opposite side edge portions of the panel 10 (see Fig. 4 in particular). Tabs 23 (Figs. 1 and 2) are struck from the side edge portions of the panel 10 and bent outwardly to capture therebetween opposite ends of each channel. This arrangement economically and securely fastens the hood 12 in place on the panel 10 to provide the described display chamber or pocket and further facilitates the attainment of other aims in inspecting the bristles b as is later explained.

The panel 10 extends downwardly below this display chamber and is then bent outwardly to provide a supporting panel 24 from which in turn depends a display panel 26 on which advertising or other information may be imprinted. The supporting panel 24 is apertured, as indicated in Fig. 2 to receive the reduced portion of the paint brush handle h and thereby maintain the bristles b in the display chamber as the shoulder portion of the handle engages the supporting panel 24. The aperture in panel 24 may be formed, if desired, by striking a tongue 28 in part therefrom and in part from the main panel 10 so that the tongue 28 may be of sufficient length to overlie the upper or shouldered portion of the handle h and provide further room for printing sales information.

As has been noted, the upper end of the display chamber or pocket is normally closed. This upper end is, however, displaceable to provide direct access to the ends of the bristles b for close inspection thereof to enable a prospective purchaser to insure himself that they are of the desired quality. Preferably, this inspection feature is attained, in accordance with the present invention, by parting upper portions of the hood 12 in such a fashion that the top wall 18 may be bent or flexed outwardly when desired and in such fashion that the resilient characteristic of the material of the front hood wall 14 will normally maintain the upper flange portions 20 against or closely adjacent the panel 10. More specifically the present invention contemplates a hinge-like arrangement including slits formed at 34) on opposite sides of the hood and extending inwardly of the flanges 20 along the width of the side walls 16 and then inwardly a short distance across the front Wall 14 and terminating in enlarged circular openings 32.

With the described arrangement the top wall 18 and the upper portion of the hood 12 may be flexed outwardly about the described hinge-like arrangement permitting the brush bristles to be partially projected from the display chamber as shown in Fig. 2 so that they may be closely inspected by prospective purchasers. It will also be noted that the brush is assembled into the present display pack age by flexing the upper end of the hood 12 outwardly inserting the handle h of the brush therethrough and then drawing the handle downwardly through the aperture in the supporting panel 24 thereby positioning the bristles b within the display chamber previously described with the upper end of the display chamber being normally closed by the resilient characteristic of the material forming the front wall 14 of the hood 12.

One further point to be noted is that a tongue 34 may be struck from panel and folded inwardly to bear against the handle h (Fig. 2) to minimize shucking of the paint brush in the display package.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the broader features herein described can also be advantageously employed in the packaging of other articles where access is desired to the interior of an article receiving pocket without destruction of the package itself.

Having thus described the invention, what is declared to be novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A display package for paint brushes and the like comprising a cardboard panel and a transparent hood formed of resilient sheet material secured to the upper portion of said panel, said hood being integrally formed and including front, side and top walls, spacing said front wall from said panel wall to provide a chamber for receiving the bristles of a brush, the height of said chamber being somewhat greater than the length of the bristle with the handle of the brush extending therebelow, said side and top walls having marginal flanges extending outwardly therefrom and engageable with the front face of said panel, opposite side portions of said flange each having a reversely folded extension forming with said flange opposed channels which capture opposite side edges of said panel, said channels extending upwardly from the lower ends of said side Walls and terminating short of the top wall of said hood, said panel having a pair of tabs struck from each side edge and spaced to engage the upper and lower ends of said channels to hold said hood in place on said panel, said side walls and their flanges being slitted at opposed points just above said channels up to said front wall with the slits of each side wall continuing a short distance inwardly of said front wall leaving an extent of uniform material thickness between said slits, the terminal ends of said slits on the front wall opening on apertures which prevent stress concentrations in said front panel, said slits providing a hinge-like mounting for the upper portion of said hood with said upper portion being normally held in a position closing off the upper end of said chamber by the resilient property of said sheet material, said hinge-like arrangement permitting the upper portion of said hood to be flexed outwardly from the panel to permit the bristles to be projected thereabove for close visual inspection, said panel further including a depending portion which extends downwardly from said hood, a supporting panel bent forwardly from said depending portion, a tongue struck from the forwardly extending segment providing an opening for receiving the handle of said paint brush, and a depending panel bent downwardly from said supporting panel and overlying the handle of said brush.

2. A display package for paint brushes and the like comprising a flat, relatively stifi panel member in combination with a transparent sheet material hood having a flat front wall and top and side walls spacing the front wall fromvthe panel member and forming therewith a pocket which is open at its lower end to receive the bristles of a brush and closed at its upper end by the top wall of the hood thereby protecting the bristles from dust.

and dirt, said hood being formed of resilient flexible material and secured to said panel solely along portions of said side walls spaced beneath said top wall, each side wall being parted above the secured portions thereof and the portion of said hood above said parted portions being free of said panel member permitting the upper end of the hood to be flexed away from said panel member about a hinge line lying generally in the plane of said front wall for examination of the end portions of the brush bristles, the resilient characteristic of said hood material normally maintaining the top wall of said hood in a position closing off the upper end of said bristlereceiving pocket.

3. A display package for handled paint brushes and the like comprising a flat, relatively stiff panel member in combination with a transparent sheet material hood having a flat front wall and top and side walls spacing the front wall from the panel member and forming therewith a pocket which is open at its lower end to receive the bristles of a brush and closed at its upper end by the top wall of the hood thereby protecting the bristles from dust and dirt, said hood being formed of resilient flexible material and secured to said panel solely along portions of said side walls spaced beneath said top wall, each side wall being parted above the secured portions thereof and the portion of said hood above said parted portions being free of said panel member permitting the upper end of the hood to be flexed away from said panel member about a hinge line lying generally in the plane of said front wall for examination of the end portions of the brush bristles, the resilient characteristic of said hood material normally maintaining the top wall of said hood in a position closing off the upper end of said bristlereceiving pocket, and hanger-like means for receiving the handle of said brush and positioning the bristles thereof in said pocket, said hanger-like means permitting the bristles to be projected upwardly from said pocket by manipulation of the brush handle.

4. A display package for handled paint brushes and the like comprising a flat, relatively stiff panel member in combination with a transparent sheet material hood having a flat front wall and top and side walls spacing the front wall from the panel member and forming therewith a pocket which is open at its lower end to receive the bristles of a brush and closed at its upper end by the top wall of the hood thereby protecting the bristles from dust and dirt, said hood being formed of resilient flexible material and secured to said panel solely along portions of said side walls spaced beneath said top wall, each side wall being parted above the secured portions thereof and the portion of said hood above said parted portions being free of said panel member permitting the upper end of the hood to be flexed away from said panel member about a hinge line lying generally in the plane of said front wall for examination of the end portions of the brush bristles, the resilient characteristic of said hood material normally maintaining the top wall of said hood in a position closing off the upper end of said bristlereceiving pocket, said panel member extending below said hood and being folded outwardly about a first fold line to form a ledge and then downwardly about a second fold line, said ledge being apertured to receive the handle of the paint brush and thereby position the bristles thereof in said pocket.

5. A display package for handled paint brushes and the like comprising a flat, relatively stiff panel member in combination with a transparent sheet material hood having a flat front wall and top and side walls spacing the front wall from the panel member and forming therewith a pocket which is open at its lower end to receive the bristles of a brush and closed at its upper end by the top wall of the hood thereby protecting the bristles from dust and dirt, said hood being formed of resilient, flexible material, said side and top walls having a continuous outwardly extending flange in contiguous relation with said panel member, each side wall having a slit therein spaced downwardly an equal distance from said top wall, said slits extending from said flanges part way into said top wall, a relatively small circular opening in said front wall at the end of each slit, the flanged portions of each side wall below the slit therein being secured to said panel member and the portions of said hood above said slits being free of said panel member permitting the upper end of the hood to be flexed away from said panel member about a hinge line lying generally in the plane of said front wall for examination of the end portions of the brush bristles, the resilient characteristic of said hood material normally maintaining the portions of said flange above said slits in contiguous relation with said panel member thereby closing off the upper end of said bristlereceiving pocket, said panel member extending below said hood and being folded outwardly about a first fold line to define a ledge and then downwardly about a second fold'line, said ledge being apertured to receive the handle of the paint brush and thereby position the bristles thereof in said pocket, said panel member having a flap portion extending upwardly from said second fold line and intermediate said aperture to assist in positioning the brush relative to said package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Publication: Modern Packaging, September 1957, pp. 148-149. 

